


The Path We Choose

by carrie88



Category: Compilation of Final Fantasy VII
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2012-06-14
Updated: 2012-07-11
Packaged: 2017-11-07 16:50:40
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 10,118
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/433329
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/carrie88/pseuds/carrie88
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>AU: What if Sephiroth hadn't lost his mind in Nibelheim? Sephiroth leaves ShinRa, joins Genesis, and Tifa is along for the ride after Nibelheim burns. Their mission:destroy ShinRa. Eventual Sephiroth/Tifa</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Author's Note: This was originally posted on FF.net, but due to the current crackdown on Mature content, I decided to start posting my works here that have mature content. :) 
> 
> This is Alternate Universe and starts during Crisis Core. It will follow the story for the most part in the first few chapters and then goes off in a completely different direction. I will warn all of you that I will try to keep Sephiroth close to his personality in Crisis Core, but he may step OOC during moments of personal reflection. This will be a Tifa/Sephiroth romance but it will build slowly, so I hope everyone enjoys the ride!
> 
> Disclaimer: Square Enix owns Final Fantasy VII and all its characters (damn). I just play with them every now and then! :D

**The Path We Choose**

**Chapter 1: Letting Go of Friends**

 

Sephiroth stared at the box in front of him. It was something he wasn’t looking forward to doing and had been putting off for days. He sighed irritably as he realized that ignoring said box wasn’t going to make it disappear, so he reluctantly got to his feet and lifted the lid. He couldn’t help the small smile that came to his lips as he reached in and pulled the first item from the top out and stared at it. LOVELESS. He gently stroked the cover and sighed. He couldn’t remember the number of times he had desperately wanted Genesis to just shut up and stop reciting the drivel that was his favorite poem, but now he would give almost anything to have that red-head sitting on the couch in his office spouting the words he had committed to memory, relegating the book itself to the status of merely a prop.

 

Nothing else in the box was noteworthy, just a change of clothes he had taken to Wutai and a few orbs of materia. Still, he refused to part with any of it. It seemed so wrong to just dispose of a man’s things when he was still alive. Angeal seemed to think there was still hope for Genesis, but he had lost touch with Angeal since he too had defected with Genesis. The night at Mako Reactor Five provided him with much information. He had even confronted Genesis himself, though the red general had been evasive and cryptic. Angeal had been spotted fighting Genesis, but both men had disappeared. Zack was currently in Modeoheim searching for answers and Sephiroth hoped he would find _something_ that he could use to stop his friends from doing something they could never come back from.

 

He was jolted from his musings by his cell phone ringing and vibrating. “Yes?” His eyes squeezed shut before answering curtly, “I’ll be right there.”

 

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

Tseng looked up when Sephiroth entered the infirmary. “General Sephiroth.”

 

“What happened?” he asked, skipping the pleasantries.

 

“We found Genesis and his copies in Modeoheim,” Tseng said as a nurse continued to tend to his wounds. “Lieutenant Fair confronted Genesis who was threatening Hollander and a battle ensued.”

 

Sephiroth felt his heart clench. “Did Genesis escape?’

 

Tseng shook his head. “No sir. Lieutenant Fair reported after his defeat, Genesis said if the world wanted to destroy him, he was taking it with him before falling to his death.”

 

“Genesis is dead?” Sephiroth asked, not wanting to believe it.

 

“Apparently,” Tseng said with a nod. “While the lieutenant was fighting Genesis, Cadet Strife and I went on to the town in hopes of finding Hollander, who had escaped Genesis while he was fighting Lieutenant Fair. When we got to the town, we were ambushed by Angeal clones. The lieutenant was forced to go on ahead of us and he found Angeal and Hollander. Angeal exchanged some heated words with Hollander and Zack before Angeal recalled some of his copies, merging with them to form one monster. Zack was forced to fight him.”

 

Sephiroth observed the Turk and was disturbed to see that even _he_ was having an emotional reaction to what had happened. “He fought Angeal?”

 

Tseng nodded. “Yes sir.”

 

“And?”

 

“And I think you should speak with Lieutenant Fair, sir,” Tseng said.

 

“Where is he?” Sephiroth asked, a pang of sadness twisting in his gut.

 

“I would assume he’s in the slums of Sector Five,” Tseng said. “There’s a church there and a young woman whom the lieutenant is quite smitten with.”

 

Sephiroth nodded. “I'll find him.”

 

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 

 

Aerith watched Zack openly weep on the floor of the church and her heart broke for him. She knew no words would comfort him, so she slowly approached him and dropped to her knees behind him, wrapping her arms around him.

 

“Just let it all out, Zack,” she whispered as his body shook with his sobs.

 

She was startled when the door to the church opened and a tall man stood outlined by the light from outside. She tensed up when she realized it was General Sephiroth of ShinRa’s SOLDIER division. She watched him uneasily as he approached them with determined steps, stopping once he was only a foot or two away from them. Her arms instinctively tightened around Zack as Sephiroth met her gaze with his.

 

He smiled slightly. “I’m not here to hurt you or Zack. I just need to speak with him.”

 

Zack looked up at him through tear-soaked eyes. “Seph…he’s gone. I…I killed him. I _killed_ Angeal.”

 

Sephiroth nodded. “I know. Listen, I need you to come back with me and tell me everything.”

 

Zack reluctantly nodded and pushed himself to his feet before turning and helping Aerith to her feet. “Thanks for being here, Aerith.”

 

She smiled and nodded before hugging him. “I’ll be here whenever you need me, Zack.”

 

He nodded and turned to follow Sephiroth out of the church and to the waiting transport.

 

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 

 

Sephiroth listened intently as Zack recounted everything that had happened between himself and Angeal, as well as the exchange between Angeal and Hollander.

 

“It was weird, Seph,” Zack said. “Professor Hollander is really losing it! He kept referring to Angeal like an experiment or something. Do you think that’s why Genesis turned on him?”

 

“It’s possible,” Sephiroth mused. “Unfortunately, the science division’s records are confidential and even I have difficulty getting information from them.”  
  


“But you’re Hojo’s favorite,” Zack said with a frown.

 

Sephiroth lips twisted into a sneer. “I’m his favorite pin cushion, but I do not share his confidence. He didn’t become the head of the science division by being a trusting sort of man and he remains tight-lipped about everything…including on what exactly he’s doing to me during my regular check-ups. He will give us nothing of any use.”

 

“We have to do something,” Zack said anxiously. “Angeal _can’t_ have died in vain.”

 

“He won’t have died in vain, Zack, I promise,” Sephiroth said. “You managed to capture Hollander. Your promotion to SOLDIER, first class will be finalized in a few days when your probation ends. Angeal would have been proud of you.

 

Zack’s gaze was drawn to Angeal’s sword propped against the wall. “He told me his dreams and honor are mine now.”

 

“He always wanted you to carry on his devotion to honor,” Sephiroth said with a small smile. “You’ll do his memory proud, Zack.”

 

“Really?” Zack asked as he shyly rubbed the back of his neck. “You know, you’re not nearly as cold as everyone says.”

 

Sephiroth lifted an eyebrow. “Don’t go spreading that around, Lieutenant.”

 

Zack smiled and saluted. “Yes sir!”

 

Sephiroth shook his head and got to his feet. “Get some rest. Our work is far from over. Once Hollander is dealt with, we can mourn for our friend.”

 

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

Sephiroth switched on the lights and slowly let his eyes wander around the living room of Genesis’ apartment. He would never be so rude as to assume that Genesis was stupid enough to leave any incriminating evidence of his planned defection or reasoning behind it, but he may have left something for him…a clue perhaps as to why he was risking everything in life that he held dear and for what purpose. Now that he was…gone, all Sephiroth wanted was an answer to the question why. Why had Genesis felt so bereft that he abandoned everything he had worked so hard for? And why didn’t he feel he could trust him to help him? He shook his head and closed the door behind him before moving further into the apartment.

 

He missed coming here for the traditional post-battle celebrations Genesis insisted on having. “In a profession such as ours, we must celebrate our lives and the gift we were granted in living through yet _another_ battle because one day, one of us may not return,” he used to say as a justification for behaving completely un-SOLDIER like. Sephiroth still smiled at the image of an inebriated Genesis stumbling around his living room, drunkenly complaining about “the man”. That was how you could tell the red-head was truly drunk. President Shinra became “the man” or on a particularly bad night, “that fat asshole who has no concept of facing one’s mortality in the heat of battle”.

 

He wandered around the apartment, as he had done countless nights before. He still didn’t know what he was expecting to find since his previous, more thorough searches of the apartment had yielded no results to speak of. Instead, he found himself wandering aimlessly, stopping to look at pictures of his friend throughout various stages of his life. He wandered into the bedroom and just continued to observe the trinkets and pictures the older man had chosen to surround himself with. One picture made Sephiroth stop and pick it up from the bedside table it had been sitting on. It was a candid photo Sephiroth had never seen before of him, Angeal, and Genesis. The three of them had monster blood spattered across their bodies and they were all propped up against the wall of a transport, apparently completely exhausted since all three of them appeared to be asleep. Angeal was on Sephiroth’s right side and had his head tilted back with his lips slightly parted. Sephiroth himself had his head against the wall, slouching slightly with his legs stretched out in front of him and crossed at the ankles. Genesis was on his left with his legs crossed beneath him and his head was resting on Sephiroth’s shoulder.

 

Seeing them all so close and Genesis uncaring of what rumors a photo capturing a seemingly intimate moment would cause made him remember why Angeal and Genesis were his friends. He was only moderately surprised to feel a tear trickle down his cheek and splash against the glass-covered picture.

 

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

Genesis crouched on the rooftop facing his apartment, watching Sephiroth’s movements. He heard of Angeal’s suicide…he couldn’t in good conscience brand young Zack as a murderer for killing Angeal. Angeal had wanted to die since discovering Hollander’s intentions to keep copying him in order to destroy ShinRa, but he couldn’t bring himself to die by his own hand and forced Zack into a situation where his only choice was to kill him. Angeal had been his best friend since they were young kids and his loss tore away another piece of his humanity. It was his fault anyway. He was the one who told Angeal the truth about them and he was the one who convinced him to abandon ShinRa and join him in his crusade against a company that turned them into monsters.

 

With his best friend’s death so fresh in what was left of his heart, it only seemed right to seek comfort from his other friend, Sephiroth…even if it was from a distance. Judging from Sephiroth’s presence in his abandoned apartment, he could see the general had the same idea. As Genesis watched Sephiroth pick up his favorite picture and stare at it, a spark of hope began to bloom in his heart. Maybe Sephiroth did care after all. Maybe Sephiroth was the key to his survival. More research would be necessary, but Sephiroth’s cells may be the answer he was searching for. There was only one way to find out. He was going to have to free Professor Hollander and that meant seeing Director Lazard.


	2. Escape From Junon

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: Square Enix owns Final Fantasy VII and all its characters (damn). I just play with them every now and then! :D

**Chapter 2: Escape From Junon**

 

Flames licked the sky as the air burned with the pathetic town before him. Men lay about the square, dead or dying, and the screams of women and children practically drown out the moans of the dying. Nothing can penetrate his thoughts. _Mother…I must find mother!_ She is not in this town, though. She is somewhere else…the mountains perhaps. He turns and climbs the stairs that will take him to where she is. She is calling to him, begging for him to find her and free her from her painful prison. _What are they doing to you, mother?_ She doesn’t answer…she only moans in pain. Slowly, her pain becomes his pain. He leans on a rock and wraps his arm around his waist, willing the alien pain away.

“Stop right there, you murderer!”

He turns and sees a man. An insignificant villager has followed him and now dares to attack him. It’s all he can do not to laugh as they man charges him. Does the fool think he has a chance to defeat him? He has no time for this pathetic annoyance and makes short work of cutting the man down. He has to get to mother. Nothing else matters…not even his Masamune which he left piercing the ground beside the dying man, like some sick tribute to his death.

He enters the ShinRa mako reactor and finds his way to where she is waiting for him. Her calls become stronger in a room in the heart of the reactor. He looks up a long tall flight of stairs and sees a large door with a word across the top that he can’t quite make out, but as he climbs the stairs, mother’s calls increase and become clearer.

“I am here, Mother,” he whispers as he tentatively touches the surface of the door.

“Sephiroth!”

He turns and sees a beautiful girl rushing towards him wielding his sword as she hastily ascends the stairs. Her dark hair only accentuates the pallor of her skin and her mahogany eyes burn bright with anger. He absently wonders if she is aware of her beauty…though he doubts it’s something she pays much mind to.

In an instant, she is raising his sword to strike him. He cannot allow her to distract him from mother. He reaches out and grasps both of her wrists in one of his hands, lifting her from the ground. Instead of letting go, she stubbornly holds on the handle of his Masamune. He has no time for any of it and reluctantly, he takes the sword from her hands and drops her to her feet before swinging the blade in an upward arc, splitting her chest as she falls back. Her body clatters down the stairs until she lands at the bottom in a lifeless heap.

oOo

Sephiroth sat straight up in bed as his phone rang insistently beside him. He managed to catch his breath before picking up the annoying device. “Yes?”

“General? It’s Lazard.”

“What can I do for you, Director?” Sephiroth asked as he rubbed his eyes and glanced at the clock beside him.

“The device Professor Hollander had been using to clone Genesis has been stolen,” he answered.

Despite the ungodly hour at which the director of SOLDIER was calling, he had Sephiroth’s full attention. “I’m sorry?”

“Since Hollander’s apprehension in Modeoheim at Lieutenant Fair’s hands, his machine used to clone Genesis has disappeared,” Lazard said patiently.

“Who would steal it?” Sephiroth asked.

“I would have to say Genesis,” Lazard answered.

Sephiroth frowned. “Genesis? Zack said after his confrontation with Genesis, he willingly fell over the edge into the pits and to his death.”

“After Zack filed his reports, a recovery team was sent in at Professor Hojo’s request to bring back Genesis’ body for studying,” Lazard explained. “However when they got there…”

“Genesis was gone,” Sephiroth concluded.

“Yes.”

“Why did Hojo want Genesis’ body?” Sephiroth asked.

Lazard chuckled softly. “As if I would be given any details, General. I mean, one of my SOLDIERs apparently begins to degrade, deserts ShinRa, and then commits suicide. Why should I be told anything?” He sighed irritably. “Hojo answers to no one, apparently.”

“What do you want me to do?” Sephiroth asked.

“I need you to head to Modeoheim and search for any trace or clue as to Genesis’ whereabouts,” Lazard answered.

“I’ll leave immediately,” Sephiroth said as he pushed himself to his feet.

“The Turks are sending Reno and Rude with you,” Lazard said. “They’ll meet you at the helipad.”

“Very well,” Sephiroth said before closing his phone. He rubbed his eyes and sat on the edge of his bed. “I don’t know if I’m happy that you may not be dead, Genesis, or if I want to find you just so I can kill you myself.”

 

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

 

Lazard hung up the phone and sighed. “He’s going to Modeoheim, just as you requested.”

Genesis nodded and smiled. “Perfect. I need him as far away from Junon as possible while I’m breaking Hollander out.”

“Why not just talk to Sephiroth?” Lazard asked. “If his cells can cure you, why not ask him now? If you push him any further away, you may not be able to count on his help later.”

“I need to speak with Hollander first,” Genesis said dismissively. “There is no point in making myself vulnerable if his cells will do nothing for me. Sephiroth knows nothing but ShinRa and he is loyal to this fraud of a company to a fault. If the infusion of his cells into my body fails to cure this retched degradation, he is likely to take me into custody and in this weakened state, I would not be able to fight him off. If ShinRa gets its hands on me, I shall end up as an experiment in Hojo’s labs, and that is a fate I wish upon no one, Director.”

Lazard nodded. He picked up a file folder and handed it to Genesis. “Here is the layout of the holding facility where Hollander is located, along with all the passwords and a keycard to let you into the restricted areas. And Genesis? Try to keep the killing to a minimum.”

“My copies are quite unruly, however, I shall do my best,” Genesis assured him before opening the window from which he entered.

Lazard watched Genesis leap into the air and glide away to safety. He slowly got to his feet and closed the window behind him, but was startled to see his brother reflected in the glass. He turned quickly and faced him.

“Rufus…”

“You know, consorting with a deserter is considered to be a very naughty action by our old man,” Rufus said mockingly. “And for some reason he accuses _me_ of being the traitor.”

“Well, you won’t have to worry about it for much longer,” Lazard assured him as he went around his desk and sat down.

“Really? And why is that?” Rufus asked as he dropped into the chair facing his brother.

“My involvement will be revealed in Genesis’ next attack,” Lazard confided. “I have given him information and access to a keycard that only I could have given him. After tomorrow, you’ll never have to worry about being my scapegoat ever again.”

Rufus frowned. “You’re not going to surrender to our old man, are you?”

Lazard laughed softly. “Are you kidding? And give that pompous old man the pleasure of torturing me to death? No, I’ll be a deserter like so many of my SOLDIERs. Most likely you’ll receive one of those vile text messages saying I have been killed in action or some such lie.”

“Great,” Rufus said dryly. “Now I won’t have to live up to your standards of perfection…I’ll only have to live up to your status of Legend for attempting to destroy the most powerful man on Gaia. Seriously, living in the shadow of an illegitimate son is a fate worse than death!”

Lazard smiled and shook his head as he watched Rufus flick his blond hair out of his eyes and get to his feet. “Sorry Rufus. Maybe I can try to do something really reprehensible like killing a few civilians in front of a news crew or something.”

“If you could, that would help immensely,” Rufus said with a smirk. He paused when he reached the door and turned to look at his brother. “Be careful, Lazard.”

Lazard nodded slightly. “I will. And Rufus? Take care of yourself and be careful.”

“I’ll be careful,” he assured him.

Lazard smiled again and watched his brother leave. When he was alone, he looked around the office. He still had a lot of work to do before he could leave. He got to his feet and picked up a few files before walking over to the paper shredder.

 

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

Rude was waiting beside the helicopter when Sephiroth arrived. Sephiroth didn’t really have any strong objections to working with Turks, unlike most SOLDIERs. He never understood the underlying hostility that seemed to run equally deep on both sides. True, some of the Turks didn’t seem to take their responsibilities seriously, like Reno, however they always got the job done.

“Rude,” Sephiroth greeted with a quick nod of his head.

“General,” Rude responded in kind as he stepped aside to allow Sephiroth to enter the helicopter first.

Sephiroth settled in the seat facing forward and took the headset Rude handed him before sitting across from him. As soon as they were settled, the helicopter lifted off the ground.

“I assume you have been told about our mission,” Sephiroth said as he looked at the bald man in front of him.

“Yes sir,” Rude answered. “The Director and Tseng were very clear that we are to escort you to Modeoheim and search the area for General Rhapsodos and Professor Hollander as well as the cloning device.”

“And were you given any _other_ orders?” Sephiroth asked with a raised eyebrow.

Rude shook his head. “No sir.”

Sephiroth looked at him for another few moments, but his face revealed nothing. “So I’m not going to find you executing Genesis or Hollander behind my back?”

“Are ya kiddin’?” Reno asked through his headset, the smirk on his face coming through in his voice. “The Director was adamant that we don’t touch _nothing_ or no _one_! We’re just goin’ to keep ya company, General.”

A grin hovered at the corners of his lips as Sephiroth listened to the Turk. “Well, I shall consider myself lucky to have such stimulating company along for such a tedious journey.”

Reno laughed. “I don’t know why everyone says you have a stick up your ass, General. Ya seem to have a pretty good sense of humor to me!”

Sephiroth shook his head and directed his gaze to the rising sun. Zack was in Costa del Sol on vacation. The poor puppy deserved it. He had been inundated with the harsh realities of life over such a short period of time and it was taking its toll on him. Every day, Sephiroth could see a part of Zack’s normally bubbly personality fade away. Soon the puppy would appear just as emotionless as he was and Sephiroth wouldn’t wish that on anyone, especially not Zack.

When Sephiroth reflected on Genesis’ abandonment of ShinRa, he realized that Genesis had been showing signs of displeasure with the company for quite a while. He had become despondent and his famous temper was always on a hair trigger, especially around Zack. When Zack had first become Angeal’s student, Genesis had viewed him as an amusing boy he couldn’t resist teasing and it had always been harmless teasing, but just before his defection, his light-hearted jabs at the younger man’s enthusiasm became mean and spiteful taunts at his devotion to SOLDIER. Sephiroth had not said anything and waited for Genesis to come to him, but that had never happened. Angeal, however, had no problem voicing his displeasure with Genesis.

_“Sephiroth, you need to talk to Genesis,” Angeal said as he entered Sephiroth’s office._

_Sephiroth quirked an eyebrow as his friend sat across from him. “He still isn’t talking to me, remember? After his injury in the simulator room, he has been avoiding me. Just the other day, his secretary forwarded me a memo from him asking that our meeting be put off indefinitely and to have the subject of the meeting put into a response memo.”_

_“This is getting ridiculous,” Angeal sighed as he shook his head. “Something’s wrong with him. His attitude is getting out of hand.”_

_“What did he do now? You never get this exasperated with Genesis,” Sephiroth said with a frown._

_“I told you that I’ve started including the virtual programs of you and Genesis into Zack’s training regimen,” Angeal said as Sephiroth nodded. “Well, as you know defeating you is something rarely achieved, as is defeating Genesis, but I have been working on getting Zack to focus and in this particular simulation, Zack was able to beat Genesis and fairly quickly too. It was impressive, really. Anyway, Genesis interrupted our training to discuss strategy regarding his upcoming mission to Wutai and Zack was so pumped about finally defeating his simulation that he told Genesis.”_

_“And what was Genesis’ reaction?” Sephiroth asked._

_Angeal rubbed his eyes and groaned slightly. “He turned and glared at Zack as only Genesis can glare before punching him in the gut and tossing him across the room.”_

_“He did what?” Sephiroth asked as his eyebrows rose on his forehead._

_Angeal nodded. “You heard me. Then he said something about SOLDIER being desperate if they were recruiting immature country hicks into their ranks. It was ugly, Sephiroth. Zack was devastated and Genesis just stormed out of the room and is refusing to speak to me. I went to Lazard, but he’s dealing with something major, apparently, and he told me to have you deal with it.”_

_Sephiroth rolled his eyes. “I am not that drama queen’s babysitter. He has always been moody, but this is getting out of hand.”_

_“Normally, I wouldn’t ask you to do this, Sephiroth, but Zack shuts down whenever the Genesis simulation comes into the program,” Angeal said. “It’s affecting his training.”_

_Sephiroth sighed. “Alright, I’ll talk to him.”_

Sephiroth closed his eyes as he recalled the disastrous conversation that had ensued when he had confronted Genesis in his office.

_Sephiroth walked into the reception area of Genesis’ office and held out another memo blowing off yet another meeting to the secretary sitting behind the desk. “What is this?”_

_Mina, Genesis’ secretary, looked up and grimaced slightly at the sight of the curt memo. “I’m sorry General. General Rhapsodos told me to cancel his meeting with you and send that to you.”_

_Sephiroth nodded before pointing to the closed office door. “Is he in there?”_

_She nodded. “Yes, but he doesn’t want to be disturbed.”_

_That annoyed Sephiroth enough that a muscle just at his temple began to twitch with the effort of keeping his anger in check. “Well, that’s just too bad. You may want to take an extended lunch.” He turned and tried to open the door, but it was locked. He impatiently pulled out his master keycard and slid it into the lock before opening the door and storming into the office. “Alright Genesis, I have had enough of your histrionics.”_

_Genesis had been resting on the sofa when Sephiroth barged in, but had sat up when he began speaking. “My friend, the fates are cruel. There are no dreams, no honor remains.”_

_“Cut the LOVELESS quotes,” Sephiroth said irritably. “What is going on with you?”_

_“Nothing,” Genesis said, his voice flat._

_“Nothing? Is that why you blew off our meeting again?” Sephiroth asked as he crossed his arms over his chest._

_“The meeting was nothing important,” Genesis said dismissively as he leaned back against the sofa._

_“The meeting was about approving your plans of attack while in Wutai,” Sephiroth said impatiently. “I can’t let you go until I have signed off on the actions you plan to take. You know the protocols, Genesis, and you know I have to give you my alterations to any strategy that is necessary."_

_Genesis glared at him and angrily got to his feet. “I am a General of the ShinRa SOLDIER division as well, Sephiroth, and I do not need your permission or alterations to any of my plans! I am just as capable of running my missions as you are and I won’t use any of your alterations anyway, so it would be a waste of time to even entertain the notion that I am listening to anything you are saying!”_

_Sephiroth was hurt by his friend’s cutting words. “Genesis, you know I trust your instincts and very rarely suggest you alter anything in your missions.”_

_“Don’t play the wounded soul with me, Sephiroth,” Genesis bit out. “We both know the World’s Hero has no real feelings! You enjoy your power over all of us!”_

_“I don’t know what’s gotten into you these days Genesis, but I would rather not be the poster boy for SOLDIER. If you want all the supposed glory, you can have it. But try to remember that with the glory comes the tedious dealings with executives, constant meetings, never going home at a decent time, mountains of paperwork, and putting out fires, figuratively and literally, between your men when they act like children,” Sephiroth snapped. “I’m sorry that you’re not in my position. I’m sorry you feel second rate. I’m sorry that you don’t like taking orders from me. However, I can’t do anything about it. What I can do though is suspend you for conduct unbecoming a SOLDIER.”_

_Genesis turned to face him, eyes blazing with rage. “What? All because I don’t care to pretend to listen to you as you pick apart my battle plans?”_

_“No, for assaulting a fellow SOLDIER,” Sephiroth said. “Your attack on Zack because you were in a pissy mood was completely uncalled for and just proves you are becoming unbalanced, therefore I question your ability to be effective in Wutai. If you are going to attack a SOLDIER for beating a simulation of you and being proud of that accomplishment, how can you be trusted not to attack a SOLDIER under your command for failing in a mission.”_

_“How would you like it if some hyperactive brat beat you once in a simulator and rubbed it in_ your _face?” Genesis countered._

_“First of all, it’s a simulation, so I wouldn’t care,” Sephiroth answered coldly. “Second of all, Zack’s ability to beat you is a testament to both Angeal’s training, and Zack’s natural abilities, which are impressive. And third of all, Zack wasn’t rubbing it in your face. He was naturally excited and you know he’s like a five year old hyped up on sugar whenever he accomplishes something that impresses Angeal. He wanted to share his achievement with you and you were cruel to him. By the way, since when is Banora a bustling metropolis? Calling a kid from Gongaga a country hick is a double standard coming from a man who hails from Banora.”_

_Genesis visibly bristled at the comparison of Banora to Gongaga. “Is that what this is all about? Hurting the poor little puppy’s feelings? Fine, I’ll apologize to the little…”_

_“No, what this is about is you,” Sephiroth said, cutting off any insult Genesis was about to level at Zack. “You have been off since your injury in the simulator room, Genesis, and both Angeal and myself are concerned about you. I know you think you’re fine, but your behavior and anger say otherwise.”_

_Genesis lowered his eyes. “You wouldn’t understand, Seph.”_

_Most of his anger dissipated at his friend’s use of his informal name, something only Angeal and Genesis could ever get away with. “Try me, Gen.”_

_Genesis sighed and shook his head. “Maybe some other time. Look, I will find the puppy and apologize. If you want, we can go over your alterations to my battle plans.”_

_Sephiroth smiled slightly. “I have no alterations, Genesis. Everything you have planned is perfect. I was looking forward to sitting around for an hour pretending we weren’t just wasting time so I could put off all that unending paperwork that’s sitting on my desk.” Genesis finally allowed a smile to creep around his lips. “Gen, you know you can talk to me, right? Just because ShinRa says I’m the best, that doesn’t mean I believe the hype.”_

_“I know, Seph,” Genesis said as he nodded._

_“Are you sure you’re alright?” Sephiroth asked. “You seem a lot paler than normal.”_

_“You’re one to talk,” Genesis said lightly. “I’m fine, I promise.”_

_“Okay, but you know where I am,” Sephiroth said as he walked towards the door. He turned before opening it. “Please make sure you apologize to Zack. You really did hurt his feelings this time.”_

_Genesis nodded. “I will._ "

That was the last conversation they had shared before Genesis’ defection. Genesis had apologized to Zack, but the puppy still felt uncomfortable with the tension that remained between them. Genesis had only made it worse when he came across Zack in Banora before ShinRa firebombed the town. Sephiroth berated himself for not seeing the signs of Genesis’ degradation. He had grown paler, more irritable, he made more technical mistakes during training exercises, and even his hair didn’t seem as bright.

Sephiroth was pulled from his thoughts by the vibration of his phone. He pulled it out and flipped it open. It was a text from Tseng. Genesis copies were attacking all over the world, most of it focused in Junon, but a large amount of copies were in Midgar and the slums as well. Professor Hollander had escaped and Zack had been recalled from his vacation to go after Hollander once more.

“Is something wrong, General?” Rude asked.

“Yes,” Sephiroth answered. “Reno, I want you to alter your course and take us to Junon.”

“Junon? But I’ve got strict orders to take ya to Modeoheim and bring you back to Midgar,” Reno protested.

“Genesis copies are attacking Junon and Hollander is on the loose,” Sephiroth said. “We need to get to Junon.”

“Genesis copies? Who’s making the copies?” Reno asked as he turned the helicopter towards Junon. “Genesis is dead and Hollander’s been locked up.”

“Maybe Genesis isn’t dead,” Sephiroth suggested.

“Shit, this is so not good, yo,” Reno said as he shook his head.

 

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

Tseng lifted his face to the sky at the sound of a helicopter and watched it land a few feet away. “I didn’t expect you to alter the mission plan, General.”

“The mission to Modeoheim can wait since it is obvious that whoever stole the machine is using it to create Genesis copies,” Sephiroth said as he knelt beside the body of one of the copies. He pulled off the helmet and stared at the familiar, yet distorted, face of his friend. He got back to his feet and looked at Tseng. “It’s possible that Genesis is truly dead and that these copies had yet to mature enough to release before his death, but it is more likely that Genesis is alive and that he is the one who stole the machine so he could create more copies of himself.”

Tseng nodded. “Agreed. Lieutenant Fair is on Hollander’s trail and just went up to the roof. Come, we can offer back up if he needs it.”

Sephiroth nodded and followed Tseng. When they again had Hollander in custody, he wanted to question him himself and force the scientist to explain the cause of Genesis’ degradation as well as confirm if the degradation could be healed or if it was fatal. He needed to know if there was anything he could do to help his friend or if it would be more merciful to kill him and end his suffering.

They were met at the elevator by Cissnei who confirmed that Zack had Hollander cornered on the roof. The ride from the ground to the roof seemed to be especially slow to Sephiroth who was impatient to get his hands on Hollander…or even Genesis. As the elevator rose high enough for the roof to become visible, Sephiroth could see Hollander facing Zack before falling backwards over the edge.

“He just jumped!” Cissnei exclaimed.

Sephiroth was both relieved, yet worried when he saw the scientist being lifted into the air by two Genesis copies. He stood aside and allowed the two Turks to run across the roof ahead of him as he approached Zack. It had been too long since he had seen the puppy and he was relieved to see that he appeared to be healthy having put on some of the weight he lost after the death of Angeal.

“Mission failed,” he said as he stepped closer. “This goes on your permanent record.”

Zack turned and was startled to see the general. “Sephiroth? Huh, long time no see.”

“Let the Turks take care of the rest,” he said as he moved to stand in front of Zack. “I was on my way to Modeoheim, but heard you were in the area.”

“Lucky me,” Zack said dryly.

“The situation has not resolved,” Sephiroth lamented as he looked at the sun setting on the horizon. “Genesis copies have been sighted around the world.”

Zack frowned and shook his head. “That…can’t be. We wiped out those Genesis copies.”

Sephiroth turned and faced Zack. “Did Genesis _really_ die?” He still felt torn as to how to feel about the possibility. “The copies have been sighted in Midgar as well…the slums too.”

Zack’s brow furrowed as he looked away. “I see.”

Sephiroth looked at the younger man. Zack was clearly distressed at the thought of the young girl in the church being harmed by the copies. He smiled slightly before saying, “Permission to return, granted.”

Zack’s eyes widened. “But I didn’t…”

Sephiroth nodded. “I know. Take care.”

Zack watched Sephiroth turn away and return to staring out at the sunset. “Uh, yeah. You too.” He turned to go when it struck him that Sephiroth had mentioned a mission to Modeoheim. “Hey, what’s going on in Modeoheim?”

“The device Hollander was using has been stolen,” Sephiroth answered.

“Genesis?” Zack guessed.

Sephiroth sighed and nodded. “Probably.”

Zack looked down at his hands. Genesis was back. He knew first hand that the man was dangerous and his relationship with Sephiroth had been rocky at the time of his disappearance. Who knew what he would do if he came across Sephiroth while he was attempting to stop him. He didn’t think he could take losing someone else…not with the loss of Angeal still weighing heavily upon him. He wanted to say something to Sephiroth to convey everything that he was feeling yet he was having a hard time articulating his fear of losing another friend. Sephiroth sensed his difficulty and smiled again.

“We’ll meet again soon,” he assured him.

Zack smiled as he backed away while pointing at Sephiroth. “I’ll hold you to that.”

As Sephiroth watched him walk away, he realized that while carrying the Buster sword, Zack looked just like Angeal had and the comparison between the mentor and the student was somehow reassuring. Angeal had passed on his belief in honor, dreams, and the power of SOLDIER to his student and Sephiroth hoped that meant no matter what else life threw at him, Zack would always be the good person he was today…and always had been.

 

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

Genesis sat upon the giant rigging above the roof and watched Sephiroth and Zack part ways. He should have known that with Sephiroth on his way to Modeoheim, SOLDIER would have recalled the puppy from his vacation. And where the puppy went, Sephiroth was now sure to follow. He was surprised that Sephiroth could stand the endless energy the puppy seemed to have especially since Angeal was no longer there to temper his student’s reactions.

As Sephiroth continued to stare out at across the waters towards the setting sun, Genesis wondered if he too was thinking of that fateful day in the Junon simulator when he had allowed his temper to get the best of him, causing the beginning of his own degradation. Sephiroth had felt bad for provoking him, even though it was Genesis’ own fault for letting his anger get the best of him. He had wanted to help him back then, so the question now facing Genesis was would Sephiroth still be willing to help him end his degradation? Once Genesis had the chance to confirm with Hollander that Sephiroth’s Jenova cells would save him from the painfully slow death that was currently eating him alive from the inside out, he could approach Sephiroth for help.

Genesis pushed himself to his feet and considered the Banora White he held in his hand. “My friend, your desire is the bringer of life…the gift of the Goddess. Legend shall speak of sacrifice at world’s end. The wind sails over the water’s surface…quietly but surely.”


	3. Sephiroth's New Mission

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: Square Enix owns Final Fantasy VII and all its characters (damn). I just play with them every now and then! :D

**Chapter 3: Sephiroth's New Mission**

Sephiroth entered the meeting room and immediately knew something bad had happened. Heidegger was rubbing his beard, as he did when something troubled him, Palmer was sweating buckets, President Shinra looked infuriated, Reeve looked pensive, Veld and Tseng looked completely stoic, though their eyes showed concern, Scarlet seemed subdued, Hojo looked…well, Hojo _never_ looked content so it was difficult for Sephiroth to ascertain his particular emotions, and Rufus Shinra looked worried, yet slightly guilty. Then he noticed Director Lazard was not there.

“Thank you for coming,” President Shinra said once Sephiroth had taken his seat. “As you are all aware, Genesis Rhapsodos is not dead. Yesterday, he successfully released Professor Hollander from the Junon facility.”

“I still don’t understand how that even happened,” Scarlet said. “How was he able to avoid all the security.”

“He had help,” the president said tightly.

“Are you suggesting that one of us…?” Scarlet asked incredulously.

“I’m not suggesting any of you had anything to do with it,” he snapped. “The traitor has been revealed to be Director Lazard.”

Sephiroth was shocked. The Director was assisting Genesis? “Sir, are you positive?”

The president looked at Sephiroth and nodded. “We are positive, General. Tell me, had the Director seem…off to you recently?”

“That’s very subjective, sir,” Sephiroth said dryly. “Many of the behaviors I witness throughout the day seem…off to me. However, I have not witnessed anything out of the ordinary with Director Lazard.”

“Who are you putting in charge of SOLDIER?” Palmer asked.

“Heidegger,” the president answered.

“What?” Hojo asked, clearly displeased with the choice. “Surely Sephiroth would be the obvious choice.”

“We still need the General’s experience in the field,” Rufus said with a shrug.

“Send Lieutenant Fair after that…abomination Genesis!” Hojo spat angrily. “Sephiroth…”

“Sephiroth is not going after Genesis,” Rufus corrected before looking directly at Sephiroth. “We need you to go to a reactor in a remote mountain town, General. During all this…unpleasantness with General Rhapsodos and General Hewley, complaints of troubles around this reactor have been neglected.”

“Now you want Sephiroth to be some errand boy?” Hojo scoffed. “What a waste of all my hard work!”

Rufus ignored his ranting and kept his attention on Sephiroth. “There are reports of a large number of monsters spawning around this reactor along with some problems with the reactor itself. We have sent operatives in previously, but they have never returned.” He finally turned and looked at Hojo. “Is that not something deserving of the General’s attention? If other SOLDIERs are never heard from again, clearly that would indicate it is time for the Great Silver General of ShinRa to step in, would it not?”

Hojo was silent, not one to enjoy being put in his place by the young vice president. Sephiroth enjoyed watching Hojo be treated as though he was nothing but another subordinate. After all, the scientist seemed to regard everyone around him as a potential test subject and not at all as human beings. He carefully schooled his features to keep his expression neutral while he focused on the young blond.

“Obviously any of my SOLDIERs disappearing is a concern for me,” Sephiroth answered, pulling Rufus’ attention away from Hojo. “Am I to go alone?”

Rufus shook his head. “Heidegger has decided that you should take Lieutenant Fair with you as well as a few infantrymen as well.”

Sephiroth inclined his head. “Very well. Where are we to go?”

“The reactor in question is in Nibelheim,” Heidegger said.

“Nibelheim?” Hojo asked sharply.

“Is that a problem, Professor?” Sephiroth asked with a raised eyebrow.

He shifted in his seat. “Not at all.”

“Then this meeting is adjourned,” the president said.

Heidegger approached Sephiroth. “General, I want you to gather the men you will be taking with you. This is to be handled with the utmost of care.”

Sephiroth allowed the man to lead him out of the room, yet kept half an eye on Hojo. The professor was speaking with the president and from the animated gestures, he could tell the professor wasn’t happy. He just didn’t understand the scientist. He was always pontificating about how Sephiroth was ShinRa’s greatest accomplishment, yet sending him to some backwater mountain town was enough to have him arguing with the president of ShinRa. What was it about Nibelheim that had Hojo all riled up?

“And to make in-roads with the locals, we’ve secured a local guide for you and your men, though I’m sure you won’t need it,” Heidegger said arrogantly.

“General, I hope you won’t mind my sending your infantrymen with the latest weapons prototypes,” Scarlet said as she elbowed Heidegger slightly so she could move to stand in front of Sephiroth. “I think they may be useful during this trip.”

“As long as they are in working order and will not slow the men down, I have no objection to you sending them with the men,” Sephiroth said. “But if there is any question as to whether they will fire when needed, at least send back-up weapons.”

“Of course, however, I never produce multiples of _any_ weapon if they aren’t up to my standard of perfection,” Scarlet said with a smile as she gently rested her hand on his arm.

Heidegger rolled his eyes. “Go get your damn weapons ready for travel then, Scarlet. The General and I still have much to discuss."

Scarlet sniffed slightly as she put her nose in the air. “I’m the Director of Weapons Development, not some low-level flunky you can order about, you old fool.”

“Harpy,” Heidegger muttered as he led Sephiroth in the opposite direction. “Now, where was I?”

“You were telling me you secured a guide for us,” Sephiroth said, anxious to escape to his office and get away from the overly-neurotic executives of ShinRa.

“Ah, yes,” Heidegger said as he nodded. “She is quite young, but very experienced…though most small town girls are very experienced in _many_ things, or so I have observed.”

Sephiroth’s lip curled slightly with disgust at the lewd implications of the man beside him. “How young is young?”

“Let see, I’ve forgotten that,” Heidegger said with a frown as he thought for a moment. “Fifteen or sixteen seems to strike a chord.”

“You want me to allow a teenaged girl to accompany five men into the mountains?” Sephiroth asked in disbelief. “Alone?”

“What’s wrong, General? Afraid you won’t be able to control your baser instincts?” Rufus asked. When the two men turned and faced the young vice president, he smirked and flipped his hair out his eyes. “Can it be that our finest killing machine isn’t as perfect as Hojo would have us believe.”

Sephiroth coolly lifted one silver eyebrow. “Actually, I was concerned for the young woman simply because of ShinRa’s archaic belief that women wouldn’t make for good SOLDIERs or infantrymen. Both Lieutenant Fair and myself have the discipline and fortitude to not pounce on the first person we see with breasts. The infantrymen, however, are less disciplined as evidenced by the amount of times civilian police have had to return infantrymen to ShinRa after becoming so intoxicated that they forget the meaning of simple words and phrases, like ‘no thank you’ for instance.”

“Now be fair,” Heidegger said. “Those men deserve a night out on the town every once and while. You SOLDIERs get women all the time and the infantry deserves no less.”

“First of all the rumors of the legions of women that pass through the halls of the SOLDIER living quarters are just that…rumors,” Sephiroth said coldly. “And while the infantry may deserve the right to go out and make drunken fools out of themselves, the women they encounter also deserve the right to return to their homes unmolested. If you are concerned for the sexual health of your men, Heidegger, perhaps you should secure them weekend passes to the Honey Bee Inn.”

Rufus chuckled slightly. “I’ll speak to my father about your suggestion General. Maybe he can negotiate something the next time he’s there, visiting his favorite whores.”

Sephiroth watched the vice president walk down the hall and shook his head. He took nothing seriously. If he was going to be in charge of ShinRa once the old man was gone, the company wouldn’t last very long.

“Are you even listening to me?”

Sephiroth turned and glared down at Heidegger. “Not really.”

The other man flushed in irritation. “I was saying the infantrymen will behave themselves so you need not worry about your young guide.”

“Oh, I _know_ I won’t have to worry about her,” Sephiroth said coldly. “If one of them even looks at her in a way that I don’t like, I will leave them stranded in the mountains.”

“There’s no need to be like this, General,” Heidegger bristled. “You leave in the morning so find Lieutenant Fair and let me know which infantrymen you select.”

“Fine,” Sephiroth said before turning on his heel and retreating back to his office. He stopped momentarily in front of his secretary’s desk. “Forward all my calls to voicemail and take the rest of the day off. I’ll be leaving for Nibelheim in the morning, but I will leave instructions for you on the desk as to what I would like done in my absence.”

“Yes sir,” she said as he turned and walked into his office.

Once the door was closed, he dropped to the sofa in one corner of the room and lifted his legs so he was lying on his back. He closed his eyes and tried to ignore the headache he could feel forming behind his eyes. If it didn’t go away, he would be forced to visit Hojo for a remedy and that was not a pleasant thought, especially if he was still in a foul mood as he appeared to be when Sephiroth left the meeting room. When Hojo was made to suffer, _everyone_ was made to suffer. He sighed as he pulled his cell phone out and dialed Zack’s number. He kept his eyes closed and lifted the phone to his ear.

“There are new developments,” he said as soon as Zack answered. “Headquarters. Now.”

He closed the phone and dropped it on the floor. At that moment, he found himself wondering who was smarter: him for staying with a company as fucked up as ShinRa or Genesis and Angeal for getting the hell out of there?

 

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

Zack arrived to find Sephiroth waiting patiently in his office. “So, what’s up, Sephiroth?”

“I’ve just come from a meeting in which President Shinra advised us that Genesis had inside knowledge of passwords and security precautions at the Junon facility where Hollander was being held,” Sephiroth said as he leaned against the front of his desk.

Zack’s eyes widened slightly. “What? Another traitor? Who was it this time?”

“Director Lazard,” Sephiroth answered.

“The SOLDIER Director? Are you serious?” Zack asked in disbelief.

Sephiroth nodded. “He’s gone and Genesis had a keycard that Lazard recently requested.”

Zack shook his head in disbelief. “So when do we start tracking Lazard?”

“We’re not going after Lazard,” Sephiroth said.

“Well then what did you call me back to headquarters for?” he asked with a frown.

“Legions of monsters have spawned near a regional mako reactor and all the workers have gone missing,” Sephiroth said. “Local SOLDIER operatives in the area have also vanished. The company has decided to dispatch additional operatives to investigate the matter…you and I, that is.”

“Roger that,” Zack said, bitterness creeping into his voice.

It caught Sephiroth off guard. Nothing ever seemed to phase the puppy before, but now it was becoming obvious more frequently that he found company directions to his distaste. Most likely his optimism was beginning to wane under the realization that the world was not as black and white as Zack originally always viewed it. Still, it was troubling for Sephiroth to see Zack so displeased.

“What’s wrong?” he asked.

Zack was silent for a moment before sighing. “Well…you know. I thought you had found something out about…that other matter.”

“The missing operatives were the ones tracking Lazard,” Sephiroth said. “Also, they mentioned seeing a strange pod-like device in the area.”

“Is that…Hollander’s cloning device?” Zack asked, a flicker of hope forming in his voice.

Sephiroth was pretty sure it was a safe bet, but decided to be cautious with his opinions around the puppy. “Probably the same the device that was stolen from Modeoheim.”

“Meaning?” Zack asked.

Sephiroth sighed slightly. “Lazard, Hollander…”

“And Genesis, working together?” Zack interrupted.

Sephiroth raised an eyebrow. “We’ll have to go see them.”

Zack nodded and grinned slightly. “Right. Let’s go.”

“Gather our supplies and meet the infantrymen who will be joining us,” Sephiroth said as he turned to face Zack. “They should be waiting in the SOLDIER common area. Do whatever you need to do in Midgar now, Zack because I don’t know how long we’ll be gone. Or if this mission will be extended. Depending on what we find there, we may be sent after Lazard after all.”

Zack nodded. “Understood.”

“Our orders are to investigate the reactor. They mentioned nothing of…old friends,” Sephiroth said as he watched Zack walk away. He closed his eyes and decided he needed to be honest with him. The boy had already experienced too many emotional blows in such a short time and he refused to add to it. “Depending on what happens out there Zack, I…may abandon ShinRa as well.”

Zack stared at his friend in disbelief. “What? But Sephiroth…”

Sephiroth smiled slightly. “Don’t worry, puppy. Until such time as I make my decision, I’ll remain loyal to SOLDIER and you will be the first one to know.”

Zack nodded and turned to go, but stopped and faced the general once more. “Sephiroth, what is happening to SOLDIER?”

Sephiroth shook his head. “Nothing’s happening to SOLDIER, Zack…except eyes are being opened. Since Genesis’ defection have you not noticed a shift in ShinRa policies? Before he left, how many emails did you receive falsely stating members of SOLDIER were killed in action?”

“Well, I’ve received a few notifying us of deaths in combat, but there is no way to tell if they were all false,” he said.

“Exactly,” Sephiroth said. “We know the ones regarding Genesis and Angeal were false and soon there will be one regarding Lazard, maybe even Hollander. Why would ShinRa send SOLDIER operatives after a dead man? ShinRa is covering up huge problems with reports of deaths instead of admitting high ranking personnel are leaving it’s ranks. What if we find something out there that explains Genesis’ defection? Would you bring in a man already said to be dead to a company that would happily kill him and torture him…possibly even hand him over to Hojo? ShinRa may be the ones we should be fighting…not Genesis.”

“But Genesis has killed so many innocent people,” Zack said.

“We all have,” Sephiroth countered.

Zack frowned. “Yeah, but they were our enemies, Seph. Genesis killed our own people.”

“I don’t think Wutai feels the same way about that,” Sephiroth said. “Our enemies are still people with families. Why did we go to war? Because the president was not getting his way. He was being told no for the first time in a long time.”

“Maybe,” Zack said contemplatively.

Sephiroth understood the boy’s confusion. It was the same type of confusion that he himself had felt a few hours ago. “Don’t worry, Zack. I won’t abandon you without warning. But if I do choose to leave and you decide to fight me…then we’ll have to deal with that when it happens.”

Zack nodded. “I understand, Sephiroth.”

Sephiroth tilted his head as he watched the younger man walk away. He truly hoped it wouldn’t come down to a fight between them, but when the time came that Sephiroth would have to choose between ShinRa and his own freedom…well, ShinRa had better be ready for one hell of a fight.

 

 __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

Tifa sat on the grass of the lawn behind her house. She could see the mountains and in the distance, she could also make out the top of the mako reactor. Sometimes, she could even here the cries of the monsters that were now overrunning the mountain paths. She was exhausted. Ever since the mayor of Nibelheim had told her that ShinRa had wanted a local guide for the SOLDIERs being dispatched from Midgar to investigate the reactor and the guide that had been selected was her, she had been plagued by the same nightmare every night. 

Nibelheim is burning. People of all ages are lying around the town, having been brutally slashed with a sword. Her martial arts master, Zangan, is always tending to a man who has been injured, maybe even dying. Every time she asks who has razed their home and killed the residents of the town, he always says the same thing…Sephiroth is responsible. She always ignores Zangan and chases after him, uncaring of the potential danger she may face on her own in the mountains. She always repeats to herself that nothing is real and that everyone is fine, but it still doesn’t prevent her heart from breaking every time she sees her father, dying on the ground just outside the reactor…beside Sephiroth’s famous Masamune which glistens with her father’s blood.

She always holds him as he dies and she never thinks to run away. Instead, she picks up the sword and goes after him herself. She never finds him anywhere other than the top of a steep set of stairs, standing in front of a closed door. She hastily climbs the stairs and yells hateful words at him about ShinRa and him. She hasn’t been able to quite figure it out, but he always manages to relieve her of his Masamune after grabbing her by both of her wrists with just one hand. She feels the sting of his blade rip along her chest before feeling the metal stairs bite into her back as he throws her down the stairs…and then she wakes up. What does it all mean? Why would Sephiroth burn down her home? Why would he even _be_ in Nibelheim? They’ll most likely send a few more second class SOLDIERs, but she couldn’t imagine their monster problem being something worthy of the Silver General’s time.

“Tifa? It’s getting late,” her father called as he stepped out onto the lawn. He gently lowered himself to the ground beside and looked at her. “The ShinRa party will be here before midday tomorrow and you will need your rest.”

“Do you know who they’re sending, papa?” she asked.

“If you’re wondering if Cloud will be one of the SOLDIERs, I have to say I doubt very much he even made it into SOLDIER,” her father said.

“I wasn’t thinking about Cloud, papa,” Tifa said quietly. “I was wondering if they were sending General Sephiroth.”

He turned and looked down at her. “You had that nightmare again, didn’t you?”

She nodded and rested her head on his shoulder. “I don’t want you to die.”

“Everybody dies sometime, Tifa,” he said.

“Not like that,” she whispered.

“Look, I seriously doubt ShinRa would send General Sephiroth to Nibelheim to deal with our monsters,” he said with a shrug. “And even if he did come here, what could I possibly do to antagonize a man like him?”

“I don’t know,” Tifa admitted. “It was just all so real, papa.”

“Enough of this morbid line of thought,” he said with a smile. “It’s time for bed, young lady. Do not even give it a second thought. It was only a dream so pay it no mind.”

“Yes, papa,” Tifa said softly. She turned and looked back at the reactor one last time. She couldn’t help but feel as though for some reason it looked more ominous than normal. Somehow she knew it was an omen of things to come.


End file.
